The UK police have named two Bangladeshi men in connection with a 2024 case of rape of a 13-year-old girl in Bethnal Green in East London. The police are looking for Showkoth Ahmed (31) and Jahidul Hassan Jaigirdar (34), who are on the run. The police intend to question them in connection with the case.
In a statement issued on Thursday (October 29, 2026), the Metropolitan Police said the two Bangladeshis have links to the Tower Hamlets area of London. Police believe Showkoth Ahmed is still in the UK, while Jahidul Hassan may have returned to Bangladesh. The police have urged the public to help in locating the Bangladeshi men who have been on the run since September 18, 2026. The Metropolitan Police have also released photographs and identities of the two Bangladeshi men to help identify them.
In order to help catch the culprits, an independent charity named ‘Crimestoppers’ has announced a £10,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the rape.
The investigation relates to an incident that happened on August 1, 2024, at night. The victim told the police that she was approached by two men on Whitechapel Road in London. They led her to nearby Weavers Fields Park, where they raped her. She was later spotted by a passer-by who helped her. CrimeStoppers’ London regional manager, Alexa Lucas, said the victim suffered a horrific and psychologically devastating attack.
The incident was reported to the police, who have been hunting for the culprits. The police conducted extensive investigations, including reviewing CCTV footage, carrying out forensic examinations, and speaking with potential witnesses. Detective Chief Inspector Anna Deighton, who is leading the investigation, said that police have carried out extensive inquiries since the incident was reported.
“We are now naming Ahmed and Jaigirdar as men we need to trace and speak to. We believe Ahmed remains in the UK and Jaigirdar may have travelled to Bangladesh. We are asking anyone who knows their whereabouts, or who has information that could assist our investigation, to come forward immediately. We would also urge Ahmed and Jaigirdar to contact police,” Deighton said.
The United Kingdom has witnessed organised child sexual exploitation and Pakistani grooming networks over the past few decades. These grooming gangs targeted and sexually exploited thousands of minors across the country. According to the official figures, it is estimated that nearly 19,000 minors in England were sexually groomed in 2019 alone. Reportedly, the local authorities in England have identified around 18,700 suspected victims in 2018-19, up from 3,300 five years ago. The highest rates of child grooming victims in Britain were reported in areas including Birmingham, Lancashire, and Bradford.
In April this year, the British government announced a statutory independent inquiry into the Pakistani grooming gangs, following institutional failures in delivering justice.
